Inside The Bills

The Bills will be facing their most accurate kicker in team history this Sunday, as Rian Lindell will be kicking for Tampa Bay on Sunday, but the veteran kicker is anything but bitter about moving on from Buffalo this past summer.

Lindell was released by the team when they chose to go with sixth-round draft pick Dustin Hopkins as their place kicker. Hopkins then suffered a groin injury five days before the season opener and Dan Carpenter has kicked for the Bills ever since.

An 83 percent kicker with the Bills, Lindell has struggled of late, with four misses in his last three games, but he has no problem the decision the team made to release him during final cuts.

“I have no one to blame but me, the way I see it,” Lindell told the Tampa Bay Times. “The organization gave me so much. I don’t have any ill will toward anybody. If I would have made my kicks and hit my kickoffs better, things might have been different, but that’s on me.”

If he is successful on his next field goal attempt he will tie Lindell’s single-season percentage mark set back in 2006. Knowing it’s likely to come in the next game, he’ll have the advantage of kicking indoors with Buffalo’s next home game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto so weather will not be a factor.

Releasing a player is never easy, especially one who is the longest tenured player on Buffalo’s roster. Parting ways with Rian Lindell Monday was a difficult thing for head coach Doug Marrone, but not just because the kicker was a reliable player and model professional.

It was also difficult because when Marrone met with Lindell early this morning, he remembers what it’s like to sit in the chair Lindell was occupying.

“A lot of times those decisions are tough,” said Marrone. “I know about those things. I was released six times myself. I understand what the players go through. I understand what it’s like in that meeting. I want to make sure that I’m giving that player a lot of respect when those times come. Rian is one of the top professionals I’ve been around.”

Doug Marrone was released from 6 pro teams. He empathizes with what it's like for a player to be cut. #respect

Rian Lindell, Buffalo’s latest player release is likely to find a job elsewhere in the league, as he’s still a very capable kicker. With the Bills drafting Dustin Hopkins in the sixth round, however Lindell needed to be perfect to hang onto his job.

Lindell was more accurate than Hopkins over the long haul stretching back to the spring practices, but in camp he wasn’t dramatically better than Hopkins.

With the investment made in Hopkins, the rookie kicker just had to show progress as camp went along.

The only shame was that Lindell was released needing just 32 points to become the Bills all-time leading scorer.

It’s only one preseason game, but Marquises Goodwin’s two long kick returns last Sunday has positioned the Bills atop the preseason rankings for kick return average.

Buffalo’s special teams unit ranks first in the NFL with 181 kickoff return yards and a 60.3 average on three attempts. Goodwin had a 53-yard return followed by his 107-yard return for a touchdown at Indianapolis.

Buffalo also converted each of their three field goal attempts (Dustin Hopkins – 2 and Rian Lindell – 1) last Sunday. The Bills are one of seven teams with three or more successful field goals in the preseason.

Hope everyone had a great 4th with their families and working the grill. Now to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills as Bills training camp is just three weeks away.

CB: Coach Marrone said he’s “open to the idea” of carrying two kickers on his roster. I think the scenario you propose is what could to lead to the Bills carrying a pair of kickers. Lindell has unquestionably been the more accurate kicker through the spring practices. Hopkins had an approach problem on his field goal attempts during team segments and appeared to be over rotating his hips, which leads a kicker to hook a field goal wide left if he’s right-footed or wide right if he’s left-footed. All but one of Hopkins’ misses were hooked left (he’s right-footed).

Hopkins intends to correct that in the weeks leading up to camp. If he does that successfully it could quickly make him a major threat to Lindell because Hopkins clearly has more leg than the veteran kicker on kickoffs.

2 – Chris,
Do you expect the Bills to add a 4th QB to the roster just as an additional training camp arm?

Joe in Blasdell

CB: I would be surprised if the Bills added another arm in training camp at quarterback. Here’s why. First and foremost Buffalo’s coaching staff has to decide on a starter at the position. The more reps they can give Kevin Kolb and EJ Manuel the better position they’re in to make an accurate evaluation and decision.

Second, within that competition the most important thing that must happen is someone has to be ready to play come Week 1. Knowing it’s a brand new offense for all three quarterbacks, robbing reps no matter how few, from Manuel and Kolb with a fourth quarterback would be counterproductive.

If Kolb and Manuel need to rest their arms a bit more on certain practice days, Jeff Tuel can step in. They don’t need a fourth as I see it.

3 – Chris,
Looks like the Byrd contract could get messy the longer he holds out. It might be crazy, but any chance he gets traded for another quality player? The Bills did draft two safeties in the draft as well as having Aaron Williams switch to the position. And say they did… what position do you think they would trade for?

Thanks!
Dan in SoCal

CB: I don’t think we can rule out the potential of a sign and trade, but it should be noted that such an option does not exist as long as he has not signed his franchise tender. The Bills have traded a franchise-designated player before. They did it with Peerless Price when they shipped him to Atlanta in exchange for a first-round draft choice back in 2003.

I believe the Bills would prefer to keep Jairus Byrd on the roster long term. Keep in mind there are other options for both sides (e.g. sign one-year tender, wait until end of season to negotiate long term contract, etc.).

I don’t want to get too far into the hypotheticals, but in reference to your ‘what would they trade for’ scenario, a proven starting guard couldn’t hurt.

4 – Hi Chris Brown!!

Diehard fan in Spokane, WA. Thx for everything you do, without your reporting I would be lost out here! I was wondering how you think Manuel faired overall? Mainly from what I’ve seen is a deep ball here and there mixed in with a couple picks but do you see him as possibly the starting QB this year? How were all the throws we didn’t hear about? More bad or good? Is he picking it up quickly?

Tony

CB: First off Tony, thanks for the kind words. With respect to Manuel I think there was progress made with his game in the spring practices. I believe that while the myriad of defensive looks he experienced in practice from Mike Pettine’s defense lengthened the learning curve in terms of execution, he’ll benefit in the long run from it because it is a defense that accurately replicates game speed.

Where he had trouble was when he had to hurry and get off throws underneath. Sometimes his delivery did not have the proper touch because the throw was rushed. There were instances where the decision he made wasn’t necessarily the best one, but for the most part those were few and far between.

Manuel has a lot of good stuff between the ears and did not appear to make repeat mistakes. Again I think the speed and aggressiveness of the defensive scheme he faces every day in practice will be a help not a hindrance in the long run. His physical ability is unquestionable and his deep ball accuracy is impressive.

He also has an offensive coordinator that knows how to maximize Manuel’s strengths while minimizing some of his weaknesses due to inexperience. I believe he has a chance to be the starter, but it will largely come down to how much progress he can make in training camp and the preseason games.

5 – Chris –

Just a quick question…I thought new NFL coaches get an extra mini-camp in their first year?? Did I miss the extra camp or is that no longer a rule?

Thanks!
Michael
North Tonawanda, NY

CB: You are correct new head coaches do get an additional spring camp with their players. Coach Marrone held a voluntary veteran minicamp the week before the draft (April 15-18).

A great day for the Bills and Bills fans, with the new 10-year lease agreement. You can find all the information you need on the home page of Buffalobills.com. Here’s the latest edition of your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills. Let’s get to it.

1 – Chris,

Which Bills will be free agents at the end of the year. I know the Byrd and Andy will be. Has Buddy made any in-roads with either? Or maybe locking up Wood too. Can you break down the rest? Do you know who is a RFA and regular free agent? Would like to see lots of these guys stay? Especially Kyle Moore and Dickerson. Also what is Tarvaris Jackson’s contract?

Dickerson is a virtual lock to stay. All the Bills have to do is present him a qualifying tender to maintain their exclusive rights to him. The potential danger with Donald Jones and David Nelson is if they tender them low qualifying offers and another team chooses to sign them to an offer sheet the Bills would have just a week to match the offer otherwise they would receive zero compensation. That’s because both of them were undrafted rookies.

So provided the Bills want to keep both players in the fold for the future that they would explore contract agreements that go beyond just a one-year tender offer. That’s just a guess, but knowing there’s no compensation protection (getting a draft pick back from club that signs him) because they were undrafted it might be the best course of action.

2 – Hey Chris,
Any chance the Bills will every break out the 90s unis as their “throwbacks”? That was the “glory years” for me (I moved to Buffalo in 1986), and it seems like it’d be fun to see them out there in those Super Bowl uniforms again (the blue home jerseys, of course…)

Thanks,
Greg Campbell

CB: At this point I have not heard anything about a 90s throwback jersey. I think the Bills as an organization recognize that era as a popular one, so I’m sure it’s something the club may explore further down the line. If and when it comes to fruition is another story altogether.

3 – Hi Chris,
Chan Gailey has only attempted one 50+ field goal all year. Is this lack of faith in Lindell or is he just too conservative? Could this put Lindell’s future with the team In jeopardy?

Thanks for your time,
BillCB: Coach Gailey has stated more than once that he has not lost faith in Rian Lindell, who is 1-for-1 from 50-yards plus this season. In fact Lindell is currently having his most successful season from field goal percentage this season (20-21 – 95.2%), which we will cover in detail on Buffalobills.com Saturday morning.

Gailey has also said it’s always been his position that when it comes to 50-plus yard field goals and field position he traditionally will put more value on field position. In his first two years when his defense was playing poorly field position likely did not matter as much. In all three instances this season when he has chosen to bypass a chance for points (Ariz., Indy, Jax.) on a 50-plus yard attempt, his defense was playing very well in those games.

So I believe time and score and the way in which his defense is playing at the time influence him in that decision making as it should. If you choose to call it more conservative coaching that’s your prerogative.

4 – Hey Chris

I have recently heard you say that the Bills are 15-7 when Fitzpatrick throws the ball less the 30 times i just wanted to ask you if you believe that speaks more to Fitzpatrick ability to screw thing up the more times he has the ball in his hands or is it the confusing play calling by Gailey? A few times this season the play calling on offense has be laughable and just downright questionable and frustrating. Is this the right time for the Bills to part ways with Chan?

Thanks so much for all you do Chris,
Josh, Baldwinsville NY

CB: Bills GM Buddy Nix has publicly stated time and again that he does not want to start over, much as the Bills have done for the better part of the last 13 years with new coaching staffs ever 3 or 4 seasons. No one can deny that a new coaching staff would be a step back because of all that’s involved in starting with new coaches, schemes, etc.

With respect to the statistic you referenced it is accurate. Buffalo is 15-7 when Ryan Fitzpatrick throws less than 30 times in a game. Fifteen of those 22 games have been under Gailey and the record is 11-4.

There are other factors involved naturally, so what you make of those statistics is up to you, but Buffalo is 5-24 when Fitzpatrick throws 30 times or more in a game.

5 – Hi Chris,

First off thank you for the great coverage of our buffalo bills. Obviously this season has been a huge disappointment in which we find ourselves playing for draft picks. When I look at this roster I’m finding it hard to find a lot of holes but the product on the field clearly is showing something different. so i guess my first question would be, have I just bought in blindly because I’m a fan and want to believe that this team is better than it is or is this just an inexperienced group that has the talent I’ve been told is there. Also I have this overwhelming feeling that regardless of this poor season and a half for Fitz and this Bills team, Fitz is going to be the starter throughout the next season barring injury. It seems as long as Chan is here so to will Fitz. This makes me think we will not address our QB situation till the later rounds so I was wondering where do you think we go with our first few picks? Do we go after another corner or safety(good chance we lose Byrd) or linebacker in that case who’s out Shep or Bradham? Or do we go wideout or interior line. Where do your gut feelings lie? I guess is my main question. Again thank you for keeping the Bills nation updated on all things bills. GO BILLS

Thanks WillCB:Personally I think the Bills will try to land a quarterback somewhere in the first three rounds. I don’t see them waiting until the later rounds.

As for other areas they’re likely to address early I’d say linebacker and wide receiver. I wouldn’t worry about returning players getting bounced out of their current roles. That gets settled in training camp.

Rian Lindell was sent out to attempt a 52-yard field goal with 12:34 left in the game and the Bills up 12-7. A timeout was called before the attempt was made, and ultimately Shawn Powell was brought on to punt. Lindell and Chan Gailey were both asked about the turn of events that led to the decision to punt.

“We were not going to go for (the first down) there,” Gailey said. “The defense was playing good. We were going to try to pin them back. That was the reason. When they first told me, they told me it was a 50-yard field goal instead of a 52, 53-yard field goal. We had just dropped the snap on the extra point (on the prior scoring drive), so that is why I pulled them back out of there and said ‘Hey let’s let the defense try to keep them pinned back.’”

The coverage unit did down Powell’s punt at the five-yard line and a penalty pushed them back to the three. The Rams did get out of their own end on the possession to their own 37 before punting.

Lindell was asked about not getting the chance to make an attempt from 52 when the timeout was called.

“Dang it, I guess,” he said. “Obviously I want to kick everything. I think going through the pause on the PAT went into that.”

When asked about appearing upset on the sidelines Lindell said the following.

“I want to kick them all, you know what I mean,” he said. “I’m just trying to hit a good ball, really, it’s not going to make the uprights any wider if I get mad about any of that stuff. I need to be better that’s all. I don’t think it mattered how it played out. I wanted it, but if I don’t get it then I move on. Certainly I want it, yeah, but it didn’t matter that I went out there and there was a timeout called.”

The Bills offense got the ball back at their own 30 on the ensuing possession with 9:05 left in the game following the Powell punt and defensive stop by Buffalo, but went three-and-out.

On Sunday Chan Gailey chose to pass on a 52-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter to punt and pin Indianapolis deep. The Colts were able to drive the length of the field however, and get a field goal of their own in the 20-13 defeat for Buffalo. It was very similar to another punting decision back in Week 6 at Arizona.

In overtime against Arizona facing a 4th-and-10 at the Cardinals 35-yard line the Bills chose to pass on a 53-yard field goal attempt and punt. Shawn Powell punted into the end zone. Jairus Byrd did make the game-clinching interception on that ensuing Arizona drive to seal the win.

Here was coach Gailey’s take on his decision Sunday.

“He might make it,” said Gailey of Lindell. “He might not, but we were playing pretty good defensively and I thought if we backed them up down there and held them it’s better for us percentage-wise and we’d be able to get a touchdown out of it with better field position.”

Both of those games this season took place indoors. Rian Lindell in his Buffalo career has just one 50-plus yard field goal attempt indoors. It was on Oct. 15, 2006 at Detroit and Lindell was good on a 53-yard attempt.

When asked about Lindell’s range indoors Gailey indicated they were right on the edge of it.

“Fifty, 51, 52, somewhere in there,” said Gailey. “You always make a decision about that. About whether or not to go for the field goal or go for the punt to try to play field position. My tendency for the most part is to try to play field position.”

For his career, Lindell is 11-21 on 50-plus yard field goal attempts (52.4%).

With Brian Moorman’s release Tuesday, Shawn Powell is his obvious replacement as the punter, but what about the holding job for field goals and extra points? Head coach Chan Gailey addressed those duties Wednesday.

“Shawn will practice there,” said Gailey. “Tyler (Thigpen) will practice there. We’ll see as it goes. Eventually Shawn will do it as soon as he gets some experience.”

So it sounds like in a big division game, they’re likely to use Thigpen as the holder this week with Powell soon to be handed full time duties as time goes on.

Meanwhile Lindell addressed the mechanics of the holding job as it relates to him.

“Brian knew exactly, kickers kind of nod their heads sometimes as if to say, ‘Yeah I’m ready,’ and Brian knew when I was ready to go,” said Lindell. “That’s one of the things, just how to tilt the ball, how I like the ball tilted. I try to simplify and so we’ll work on the timing of it all.

“We’ll work with Shawn and we’ll work with other people that would step forward. We’ll work hard and we’ll get it done.”

A day after the release of Brian Moorman players admitted the move caught them completely off guard.

Veteran players on the roster that had been a teammate of Moorman for multiple seasons had trouble understanding the move.

“I don’t,” said Fred Jackson. “I can’t say that I do because I’m not in special teams a lot so I don’t know what’s going on in there. But they felt it was a move they had to make so they made it.”

“I was surprised,” said Kelsay. “I guess I was surprised more by the timing of it, but Buddy and his staff have reasons for it and we’ve got to respect that and move forward.”

Kelsay found out on Tuesday afternoon. He was at One Bills Drive and ran into Moorman, who had just been delivered the news of his release by GM Buddy Nix.

“I actually found out from him. I was in yesterday and right before I left he told me. It’s tough,” said Chris Kelsay. “I’ve been with him my entire career. He’s a great guy and done a lot for this organization and a lot on and off the field. His PUNT Foundation has been huge and done a lot for upstate and Western New York. He’s going to be missed there’s no question about it. It’s the nature of the business that we’re in and you hate to see a guy like that go.”

“It was a little surprising,” said Lindell. “Whenever it happens it just, it’s always going to surprise you you know what I mean? Then you kind of talk it out and now we have to move on.”

Chan Gailey indicated that it was a difficult decision that they talked about. He pointed chiefly to consistency in Moorman’s game.

“We were hoping to get more consistency and we weren’t able to get it,” said Gailey. “He had a great preseason. He just wasn’t able to get it back.”

Win number one under the belt. Bills will try to stack another one in Cleveland. But first your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills.

1 – Hi Chris,

Can you explain the thought process of putting Ron Brooks on the designated to return I-R? He’s probably their fifth or sixth corner. I would think they would want to save that for someone like Fitz, Fred or Mario. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that but there are likely to be more important players that we would want back.

Thanks,
Brad

CB: I’m going to let Coach Gailey handle this one. Here’s what coach said about this decision.

“First of all the person has to stay out eight weeks no matter what,” said Gailey. “So if you waited until Week 6 until somebody got hurt then they could only come back for two games in the season. Second, if you’ve got a guy that was playing extremely well and you didn’t know if he would continue to come on… how many injuries are you going to have at corner? We had a banged up couple of corners anyway at the time. You just make a judgment call and we felt that was the smartest thing to do at the time. If Fred Jackson or Eric Wood had suffered an eight-week injury in Week 1 you’d have second-guessed yourself. That’s life.”

2 – Chris:

Considering it’s not one of the bigger Buffalo Bills stories going on, do you think that Dorin Dickerson is going to play a larger role in the Bills offense then what we and the media have all been discussing? Is Dickerson flying under the radar, with his speed and size might he pose matchup problems for other teams?…like what that team in NE does with it’s Tight Ends?

Thanks & Go Bills!
Doug Glassman
Waltham, MA

CB: I don’t know if Dickerson will become as big a weapon as the tight ends in New England in Buffalo’s passing game, but I think a role for him will emerge. Now the play down at the goal line against the Chiefs was not what anybody had in mind in terms of results, but he is a mismatch in the passing game for most linebackers. He also brings a bona fide H-back to Buffalo’s offense, a role that previously had gone unfilled. I just think it might take some time before Dickerson’s role is fully defined.

3 – Hey Chris,

Any chance Potter will be out there for some long distance field goal attempts? I’m thinking end of game or end of half try’s in the 55-60+ yard range where subsequent field position would not be an
issue.

Regards,
johnnybass in NYC

CB: Chan Gailey has mentioned that as a possibility particularly at the end of a half or game. We’ll have to wait and see if such a situation arises.

4 – Chris,

Do you know why the coaches decided to use Potter, not Lindell, to attempt the onside kick against the Jets? I would think that Lindell is much more experienced with that type of kick.

Thanks,
Joe Suszczynski

CB: With Potter handling all the kickoffs, as soon as the opposition saw Lindell out there lining up it would serve as an indication that something different was coming. That’s not to say that the Jets weren’t expecting an onsides kick, but I would tend to believe special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven would like to keep kickoff duties uniform to Potter so if they wanted to pull a fast one in another situation the element of surprise would be there.

5 – Chris:

You being around the team and watching how Buddy Nix is building the roster and how the coaches are developing each unit do you notice similarities between how the Bills and the 49ers are doing things? I feel the offensive and defensive play calling and talent on the lines are very similar, and if the Bills can add more defensive speed and ability at linebacker and safety as well as at wide receiver they could mirror the 49ers. What are your thoughts?

Joe
Blasdell

CB: I think you can draw parallels between a lot of NFL clubs knowing a lot of GMs subscribe to similar philosophies, but as you mentioned the Bills still have some more building to do with depth at LB to approach what San Francisco has at that position. The 49ers have been a bit more apt to sign veteran free agents than the Bills on a year in and year out basis as well. So while the Bills have built their lines much like the 49ers, I don’t think they’re strikingly similar on the whole.

He’s not exactly the Maytag repairman. Bills kicker Rian Lindell has hit all nine of his PAT attempts this year.

But Lindell has not attempted a field goal so far this season, the only kicker in the NFL to not try a three-pointer after two games.

“It’s pretty rare,” Lindell told us. “You go through a couple of years where it’s maybe three-four games, I think even two years ago I didn’t any attempts at the beginning of the year. It feels a little funny to see a score without field goals. But that’s all right. We’re scoring touchdowns, and that’s fine, too. If they’re going to score four and five touchdowns every game, I don’t think we can complain about that.”

That’s the upside. The Bills are a perfect 5-for-5 on their red zone possessions so far this season–five trips into the red zone–five touchdowns. Lindell says he’ll take that, and the victories, all year long.

Week 2 and the home opener for the Bills. Let’s hope the results are better than last week. On to your questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net and @ChrisBrownBills

1 – Hey Chris,

Do you know if we will ever get a graphic on our scoreboard every time Mario Williams gets a sack like Houston used to do for him (check it out on youtube)? I’m not saying it’d have to be as elaborate, but it’d really get the fans pumped when he, or any of our staunch D-linemen get a sack.

Thanks,
Nate in Rochester

CB: From what I understand there are some plans in the works for something like that, but I don’t know when it will be unveiled.

2 – Chris:

In seeing the success of (K) John Potter in the preseason, and the talent he has in being able to kick touch-backs consistently, I can’t say that I would disagree with Chan Gailey opting to make him a permanent fixture on the special teams for kick-offs. We’ve all discussed the pro’s: less injuries, saving Rian Lindell from tackles/block action, no huge returns, field position…etc. The pro’s greatly outweigh the discussed ‘con’ of giving up one of the 53-man roster spots. However, in watching the preseason games, I feel like this will effect Rian Lindell more then people are discussing. Wouldn’t you think that kick-offs are a large part in allowing kickers to stay loose and confident for when the time comes in a game for a longer field goal? I’m worried that Lindell might have a rougher go this season due to a change in his routine. Do you think that is a valid concern?

Thanks & Go Bills!
Doug Glassman
Waltham, MA

CB: You might be over thinking it a bit. By not having to do kickoffs, which require a different technique (i.e. kick for hang time) he’s now only really kicking one way (for FGs). With Potter handling kickoffs it will save his leg, thereby making long range kicks more realistic and allow him to focus on kicking one way all the time.

3 – Chris,

Will the Bills use Dorin Dickerson as an extra receiver in the four wide receiver sets? What I saw of him on the training camp clips, he is a very valuable weapon in the passing game.
Tony
Ormond Beach, FL

CB: I think the Bills coaching staff sees him as a mismatch in the passing game. He’ll most likely be used as an H-back in Buffalo’s offense. However, I think his role in the game plan will be largely dependent upon the opponent each week. But yes, I would anticipate seeing him as a guy split wide at times, or motioning before the snap.

4 – Chris,
Who is the funniest player in the Bills locker room?? Or maybe give me the top two… Thanks for all you do!

-Displaced fan from Cali
Dan

CB: I don’t really witness a whole lot of joking around among the players, but I will say that Fred Jackson and Nick Barnett are notorious pranksters always pulling stuff on their teammates.

5 – Why do they call George Wilson ‘The Senator’?

Thanks,
Denise

CB: George Wilson got this nickname from the media, mainly because he is such a good quote. Journalists often look to reliable, quotable players to provide an accurate pulse of the team, a poignant comment on a teammate or a worthwhile perspective on any football topic. George does that. Sometimes his answers are long, but they’re worth it and at times his answers have a style that would fit in the political arena. I believe it was the Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan that first dubbed him ‘The Senator’ and it stuck.

The combination of Rian Lindell and Brian Moorman in Buffalo’s kicking game is entering it’s 10th season. After working off one another for as long as they have, there are continuity benefits that keep each of them sharp.

“When you spend a lot of time together it’s good to have someone you’re comfortable with,” said Moorman, who holds kicks for Lindell. “He knows what to look for with me and I know what to look for with him. It just helps with the day in and day out routine to have the extra pair of eyes on the field with you and make each other a little bit better. We’ve been together 10 years and that’s hard to come by. I think maybe (Shane) Lechler and Sebastian (Janikowski) in Oakland are the only other guys that have been together that long. I was thrilled to see Rian re-sign this past offseason and I’m hoping I can finish my career here as well.”

Lindell and Moorman are just two of four players on Buffalo’s roster entering their 10th training camp or more with the Bills. For Moorman it’s his 12th.

Rian Lindell is rarely satisfied with his own performance in games, which is why entering his 10th training camp with the Bills he’s still striving to improve. Of course the presence of seventh-round pick and kickoff specialist John Potter is an added incentive to be at his best. What Lindell has under his arm however, is a new long term contract, which one would think provides at least a bit of insurance in Lindell’s mind.

“It’s always nice to get a contract from the hierarchy that’s in place,” Lindell told Buffalobills.com. “So that was a huge shot for the confidence. But I have my own goals that I want to accomplish and I haven’t really got there. I’m trying to have that perfect season for me and for the team.”

Lindell said until this team makes the playoffs, he’s always going to believe there’s more he can do.

Bills kicker Rian Lindell has a brand new contract as he re-upped with Buffalo Tuesday. He also now stands a good chance of setting a brand new franchise record.

With 878 points in a Bills uniform Lindell is in striking distance of Steve Christie’s franchise scoring record of 1,011 points. Not counting this past season in which he played in just eight games, Lindell has averaged almost 102 points a season (101.75) over the last eight years. Just 133 points behind Christie, if Lindell stays healthy he should pass Christie for first place on the all-time scoring list come the middle of the 2013 season.

Lindell already holds the team record for career FG percentage (82.93%), consecutive PATs (225), single-season field goal percentage (92%, 2006) and consecutive field goals made (18).

By the time the season is over Dave Rayner will have spent half a season with the Bills, giving him a lengthy opportunity to convince the coaching staff that he’s deserving of consideration to be the team’s kicker beyond the 2011 season.

Head coach Chan Gailey admitted between Rayner and reliable veteran Rian Lindell it won’t be an easy call.

“I think any guy that comes in whether it’s a tight end that we signed here late or an offensive lineman like last year when we got Kraig Urbik and Erik Pears, they worked their way into getting invited back for the next year and trying to get them back as a part of the team,” Gailey told Buffalobills.com. “Dave has done a good job and we do have a tough decision to make. Buddy (Nix) and I will sit down at the end of the year when it’s all said and done and look at the direction we need to go with that position as well as all the other positions.”

Both Rayner and Lindell are unrestricted free agents after this season. Lindell is the most accurate kicker in team history.